


A Home For You, For Me

by justyrae



Series: cat nouis [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animals, Fluff, Gen, Human!Harry, Human!Liam, M/M, cat!louis, cat!niall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 13:11:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13614063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justyrae/pseuds/justyrae
Summary: Louis has the best life. He's got a roof over his head, a warm bed to sleep in, a loving family, and all the treats his heart desires.Louis is also a cat.





	A Home For You, For Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dearmrsawyer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearmrsawyer/gifts).



> HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMILA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (even though it's not technically your birthday here for another full day, time zones are weird and confusing) I sincerely hope you enjoy this <3
> 
> (and now I can start reblogging pictures of cats and tagging them with "louis" and "niall" and not have everything think i've lost my mind. or maybe they still will, who cares, CATS ARE CUTE!!)

Louis has the best life. He's got a roof over his head, a warm bed to sleep in, a loving family, and all the treats his heart desires.

Louis is also a cat. An extremely fluffy white cat with big blue eyes and a long tail that he's very fond of swishing back and forth. A curly-haired human named Harry takes very good care of Louis, although sometimes Harry trips over Louis or accidentally trods on his tail, but Louis likes him well enough. Harry tells Louis that he's a very pretty kitty, and that he's the best cat in the whole wide world. Harry also feeds him little bits of chicken sometimes, if Louis is on his very best behavior.

(Louis isn't always on his very best behavior, but Harry usually gives him chicken anyway. Because he's the best cat in the whole wide world.)

Harry also lets Louis walk all over him, both literally and metaphorically speaking. Harry's very much a pushover when it comes to Louis. If Harry's doing something and Louis wants attention, Louis can usually (always) get it.

It's a little harder getting attention from Harry's fellow human, Liam. Louis doesn't like Liam as much as he likes Harry, but he likes using Liam as a scratching post sometimes. Louis needs to keep his claws sharp, obviously, just in case. In case of what, Louis isn't really sure, but that doesn't matter.

He thinks maybe they'll come in handy if he ever gets his paws on the stupid bird that lives just on the other side of the bedroom window. It's very loud and annoying, and Louis really wants to sink his claws into that bird. His teeth too, probably. He wonders if birds taste like the bits of chicken Harry gives him.

Liam doesn't give Louis bits of chicken, which is another reason why Louis doesn't like him as much as Harry. He also sits on Louis' side of the couch which is unacceptable. Louis has tried to tell him this on multiple occasions, and always reclaims his spot whenever Liam gets up. Sometimes Liam tries to move him and Louis sinks his claws into the couch. He yells at Liam for that, because then there are more holes on _his_ side and it's not _his_ fault, it's Liam's.

Louis thinks Harry made a mistake letting Liam stay with them. But Liam doesn't seem to be going away, so Louis supposes he's stuck with him.

All in all, Louis still thinks he has the best life. What more could a cat want, anyway?

Louis is curled up on the couch, getting his white fur all over the jumper Liam left on his spot the night before, when he hears Harry's keys in the lock on the door. He knows it's Harry's keys because he's got a bunch of stuff attached to them that Louis likes to play with. He's particularly fond of the tiny stuffed fish that he's ripped both eyes off of. He keeps trying to take it for his own, but Harry says it has to stay on the keys.

He opens his eyes lazily as Harry opens the door, yawning loudly and starting to stretch, fully expecting Harry to come right over and give him some pets. Louis has been alone for _hours_ , he needs lots of pets.

But Harry doesn't come over. He doesn't even say hello to Louis. He immediately goes up the stairs and Louis hears a door close a minute later. When Harry doesn't come back down the stairs, Louis decides he has to investigate.

There's a funny smell on the stairs. It sort of smells like Harry, but it's different. It's too faint for Louis to tell what it is, but it makes the fur on his tail all bushy. He hates that.

He thinks maybe Harry went into the bathroom, so that's where he goes first. But the door to the bathroom is open, Harry's nowhere to be found, and that smell isn't in here either.

 _Harry_ , Louis yowls. _Harry, where are you?_

He pads from the bathroom into the bedroom, but Harry's not in there either.

 _Harry why are you hiding from me?_ Louis yowls again. Louis doesn't like being ignored.

He paws at the floor, trying to pick up that scent again. It's got to be coming from somewhere, but Louis doesn't know where. He goes back to the stairs and finds it again, pressing his nose down into the carpet and getting his claws stuck when he paws harder.

 _Harry, where are you??_ Louis is howling now, he hates when his claws get stuck. _Harry, I'm stuck!! Where are you??_

"It's okay, Louis!" Harry shouts. His voice is muffled.

 _Harry!_ Louis meows pitifully. He finally pulls his claws free and tries to follow Harry's voice. _Harry, where are you?_

The smell gets stronger when Louis gets to the other bedroom. The door is closed and he scratches at it. He doesn't like closed doors in his house, he likes being able to go wherever he likes whenever he likes. He scratches at it and mewls, thinking maybe if he's loud enough Harry will open the door and let him in.

"Hold on, Louis!" Harry calls.

 _No!!_ Louis howls. _Open the door!! Harry!!_

He starts scratching harder, trying to get his paws under the door as he meows. He wants to know what Harry's doing, why the door is closed, and what that weird smell is.

"Louis, stop!" Harry's voice is closer now and Louis starts rubbing his head against the door.

 _I don't like this_ , Louis meows. _Come out. I don't like being alone when you're home_.

The door opens a crack and Harry sticks his hand through it. Louis immediately presses his head into it, starting to purr as Harry chuckles. He tries to go through the door but Harry's hand is firm against his head and won't let him.

_Stupid human, you're in the way!!_

"No, Louis, stay there."

_No, let me in!!!_

"Louis, no." Harry scoops Louis up with one hand and slips through the door, closing it behind him.

 _Oh god,_ Louis meows unhappily as he starts to squirm in Harry's grip. _Oh god, what's that smell?? Harry, why do you smell so weird??_

"C'mon, let's go back downstairs, hmm?" Harry cradles Louis against his chest and starts walking down the stairs, but Louis doesn't stop wiggling around.

_No you smell so weird, what is that?? What did you do??_

"How about a treat?" Harry asks as he carries Louis into the kitchen. Louis stops wriggling around but doesn't stop meowing. He wants to know why he can't go into the other room. It's his house, dammit.

Harry opens the cupboard above the refrigerator, the only one Louis can't seem to get to, and takes out the little container of treats and shakes it.

 _Okay_ , Louis meows. _Treat, then back to the other room._

But Harry doesn't let Louis go back to the other room. He keeps Louis distracted with some new toy that he brought home. It smells a little weird, but after a few minutes of play it starts to smell like home and Louis likes that.

It makes Louis forget about the closed room and the weird smell. He's too preoccupied with the new toy. It has something inside of it that makes a funny sound. Louis wants to find it. And maybe eat it. Or just rip it apart, either one.

When Liam comes home, he finds Louis in the living room with the toy ripped in half.

"Harry?" Liam calls.

Louis looks around and realizes that somehow Harry managed to disappear. He blames the toy. He bats it away angrily and trots over to Liam, deciding he'd much rather play with the laces of Liam's shoes.

"Louis, stop that," he scolds. Louis doesn't stop. Liam picks him up and Louis howls in his ear. "Harry?" Liam calls again.

"Upstairs!" Harry finally yells back.

_Harry! Tell Liam to let me play with his shoes!!_

Liam carries Louis up the stairs, reaching the top just as Harry comes out of the room again. Louis wriggles around in Liam's arms so much that Liam almost drops him before he's able to put him down on the carpet. Louis definitely would've gone right for his shoes if he had, but since he didn't, Louis goes for the door instead.

"No!" Harry says, catching Louis before he can make it through. He stays close to the carpet, giving Louis lots of attention which would usually make Louis very happy, but right now he'd much rather find the source of the weird smell.

"Harry, what's going on?"

 _Why won't you let me in the room, I want to go in the room,_ Louis yowls.

"I… I did something."

"You did something?"

 _The smell is back,_ Louis meows. _I don't like this smell. It's weird._

"I passed by that pet shop on my way home," Harry says.

"I saw the toy," Liam says. "Or, well, what's left of it."

"Did you destroy it already?" Harry says, shaking Louis a little bit as he plays with Louis' paws. Louis meows in his face.

 _It had a thing inside. It had to be destroyed_.

"Harry, why's the door closed?"

"The lady at the pet shop said that was best," Harry says. He's looking at Louis, not Liam, and Louis presses his paw to Harry's nose.

_You smell weird, Harry. I can help with that._

"Harry, you didn't."

_No don't push my paw away, I'm trying to help you._

"You should've seen him, Li, he was so tiny."

"Harry, I thought we talked about this."

_Let me help you, Harry. I smell good, remember?_

"I know, but--"

"Louis is enough of a menace, we don't need another cat!"

_What's Liam talking about? What other cat? Harry, what did you do?_

"He's just a baby!"

"Louis will eat him!"

 _Does he taste like chicken?_ Louis paws at Harry's face again. _Did you finally bring me that bird from outside? I hate that bird._

"No, he won't!"

"He ate my slipper last week."

_It looked at me funny, Harry, you saw it._

"The lady said if we keep them separated for the first night or two, then he'll get used to the kitten's smell and it'll help."

 _THAT'S WHAT THAT SMELL IS??_ Louis starts squirming, trying to get out of Harry's grip so he can go claw at the door some more. He wants to see this new cat they're talking about.

This is his house! He needs to protect it from weird cats!

 _Harry, open the door_.

"Louis, no," Harry says as he scoops Louis up in his arms again and carries him down the stairs. Liam follows them, looking frustrated by the whole situation. Louis can relate.

 _Open the door, Liam. I'll take care of everything_.

"You should've told me," Liam says.

"I just did," Harry replies.

_I can make the cat go away. I'm very ferocious. Just look at the thing on the floor. It never had a chance._

"You should've told me _before_ you brought it home."

"His name is Niall."

"You--" Liam groans. "Harry, you've named it?"

"Of course I've named him, he needed a name!"

"But now you're attached!"

"He's my cat, of course I'm attached!"

 _Excuse me, I'm your cat._ Louis swats at Harry's face. _I'm the best cat in the whole wide world, remember? You don't need any other cats when you have me._

"What if they don't get along?"

"They will," Harry says as he rubs his face in Louis' fur. Louis thinks about biting him, but it does feel very nice to have his fur rubbed like this. "I know they will."

"Harry…" Liam sighs.

"You should go upstairs," Harry says, "go play with Niall. You'll fall in love, I promise."

Liam sighs again, but comes towards them and kisses Harry's cheek. Louis thinks very seriously about biting Liam. He's interrupted the pets.

"I'm in love with an idiot," Liam says.

"I love you too," Harry says, smiling as he kisses Liam.

 _Excuse me_ , Louis meows. He presses his paw against Liam's eye. _I was getting petted, here._

"A menace," Liam says, ruffling the fur on top of Louis' head. "Just like your owner."

 _I'm going to eat your toes tonight,_ Louis meows, swiping his paw at Liam's hand.

*

The door is still closed. Louis hates that he hasn't been able to get through the door yet. He _really_ hates that Harry and Liam keep disappearing behind it so he can't see them anymore. He can hear them but he can't see them and he really, really hates that.

 _Come back out here,_ he yowls at the door. _I need attention too!_

He's tired of clawing at the door. It hurts his paws when he keeps getting his claws stuck in the carpet under it and nobody comes to help him get them free. It's not fair!

 _I hate this dumb new cat_ , Louis meows pitifully as he curls up in front of the door. _I'm gonna hate it forever._

Louis is mostly asleep when the door opens so he can't react quickly enough to try and dart inside the room to give this new cat what's coming to it. Instead Harry gently scoops him up into his arms and carries Louis downstairs, depositing him onto the couch and lying down next to him.

"There you go," Harry says as he gently strokes Louis' side. Louis opens one eye and swishes his tail in Harry's face.

 _I don't like you right now_.

"Promise you can go in there tomorrow, okay?" Louis hits Harry in the face with his tail again.

 _You brought home another cat, I'm mad at you_.

"Louis, cut it out."

 _You should've thought about this_ , Louis gets him in the eye with his tail this time, _before you brought home that dumb other cat_.

"You're still my favorite," Harry says, adjusting his position on the couch to get his face out of reach of Louis' tail. But the closer he gets the more Louis can smell the other cat on him and the angrier he gets.

He hisses at Harry, which is something he almost _never_ does, before jumping down from the couch and bounding off towards the kitchen. He curls up under the table and starts cleaning himself, desperate to get rid of the other cat's smell.

_Stupid cat. Stupid humans. Stupid door._

"Louis?" Harry calls. "Louis, where'd you go?"

Louis doesn't make a sound. He curls his tail around himself and tucks his head down onto his paws, making himself as small as possible underneath the table. He can hear Harry walking around, he's calling out for Louis as though Louis is actually going to answer.

He's not. He's gonna stay under the table.

"Liam!" Harry shouts, his steps retreating and growing fainter. His voice gets harder to hear the further away he is, but Louis' ears perk up when he faintly hears his name. "I can't find Louis."

"He's around somewhere," Liam assures him. Louis listens intently as their footsteps get close again. Harry's barefoot so his feet slap against the tile in the kitchen. Liam is wearing socks but his footsteps still sound heavier than Harry's.

There's a hole in one of his socks and his toe peeks out. Louis stares at it when Liam comes to a stop in front of the table. He wants to bite it. Claw it, scratch it, rip it to shreds. That'll teach him. He should've done more to protect Louis' house from unwanted cats.

It's the least he could do. Louis might've considered not scratching up any more of his shoes, if Liam had done this one thing for him.

But he hadn't. So.

"Ow!" Liam hisses, quickly pulling his foot out of Louis' reach. "You little—"

"Louis!" Harry drops down to the floor and reaches for him, managing to pull Louis out from under the table because Louis doesn't have the usual advantage of carpet to sink his claws into. He leaves faint scratchmarks on the tile as he goes, and when Harry tries to stand up again he starts thrashing.

"Careful!" Liam says. "Harry, maybe you should—"

"Louis, stop it!"

 _No_ , Louis meows sharply as he swipes at Harry. _Just go back to your new cat. You like it more than me._

"Harry, he's gonna—"

Louis's claws catch on Harry's hand and leave long red marks. One second Louis is in Harry's arms, and the next he's back down on the floor. Harry clutches his hand and hisses in pain as Louis scurries back under the table.

"He… he… _shit_ ," Harry groans. "That fucking hurt."

 _You dropped me_ , Louis meows pitifully.

"You should clean those," Liam says, and Louis watches as their feet disappear from view. "You don't want them to get infected."

"He's never scratched me before," Harry says sadly.

 _You've never brought home a new cat_.

"He's being even more of a menace than usual," Liam says with a heavy sigh. "I think we ought to keep him and Niall separate a while longer."

 _See?_ Louis sniffs as he licks his paw. _Knew you liked the new cat more._

"No, what if that makes it worse?" Harry says. "Louis needs the company, I think. I get worried about him, being here alone all day."

Louis' ears perk up. Harry worries about him?

"He probably just sleeps through most of the day. That's what cats do. Might not even realize how long we're gone."

 _I do too, Liam._ Louis' tail twitches. _You're gone forever and then you come back and go see that other cat instead of spending time with me. It's not fair._

"He knows," Harry says softly. "I know he does."

Louis slowly ventures forward, staying under the table but coming out far enough that he can see Harry and Liam where they're standing near the sink.

"I know he's not your favorite," Harry goes on, sniffing a little as Liam pats his hand dry with a paper towel. "But it was just me and him for a long time, y'know? He's protective."

Liam snorts. "Is that why he keeps trying to eat my toes?"

_Yes. They're stupid toes. They deserve to be eaten._

Harry laughs a little. "Maybe. Maybe he's just trying to get you to play with him."

_No. I want to eat his toes._

"Maybe," Liam says with a soft chuckle. "He's still a menace."

"Yeah… but he's my menace." Harry shrugs. "I love that little furball."

 _I love you too, you dumb human_. Louis slowly approaches them, stepping on Liam's feet as he makes his way to Harry and rubs against his legs. _Sorry I scratched you._

"Hey, Lou." Harry nudges Louis' head with his ankle. "There's my boy."

 _I missed you, that's all_. Louis flops down onto Harry's feet. _I just want things to go back to normal_.

"See?" Harry says. Louis glances up to see Harry looking at Liam. "He's the best cat."

"He loves you," Liam replies. He steps behind Harry and wraps his arms around his waist, looking down at Louis over Harry's shoulder.

 _He was my human first_ , Louis purrs, rubbing his nose against Harry's ankle. _Don't you forget that_.

"I think it's time," Harry says, slowing pulling away from Liam and picking Louis up in his arms.

"For?"

"Time for a treat," Harry says, mostly to Louis.

 _I like treats_. Louis puts his paw on Harry's nose. _I'm glad you remember._

"And then time for Louis to meet Niall."

_Do what now?_

"Harry," Liam says gently. "Do you think that's a good idea?"

"I think if we keep them apart any longer, it'll just make it worse."

 _Excuse me_ , Louis meows, pressing his paw against Harry's cheek. _You said something about treats. Don't forget._

"I know, I know," Harry says as he rubs the fur behind Louis' ears. "Treats."

 _Good human_.

*

Louis gets so swept up in treats that he forgets what's to come afterwards. He lets himself be scooped up into Harry's arms and purrs happily, all nice and full of treats. He's daydreaming of more treats and maybe a new toy to rip apart. Maybe Harry's gonna set him down on the couch and put on a film, something with bright colors that'll lull Louis into a nice little nap.

 _Wait, where are we going_? Louis perks up as Harry starts climbing the stairs. _Harry, what's going on_?

"It's alright," Harry says soothingly. "You're going to meet your new brother."

 _I don't like him_.

"You're gonna love him."

_I'm gonna eat him._

"His name is Niall and he's orange."

_Sounds dumb. Why'd you get a dumb cat?_

"I'll be right there with you, so you don't have to be scared."

 _I'm not scared. The dumb cat should be scared_.

Harry opens the door and Louis instinctively hisses at the smell. Harry shushes him gently, pushing the door closed with his foot as he nuzzles the side of Louis' head.

"Be nice," he says. Louis, to his credit, doesn't try to scratch him.

 _Where is this dumb cat anyway? I don't see him_.

Harry puts Louis down on the floor and goes to sit next to a box on the far side of the room. Louis eyes it warily for a few seconds and jumps when it starts to shake.

_Harry._

"It's okay, Lou."

_Harry, the box is moving. Get away from the box._

"It's okay." Harry lifts one of the box flaps. "Niall? Come out, Niall. It's okay."

 _Who's there?_ A tiny, pitiful meow comes out of the box. _Who's out there?_

 _Who's in there?_ Louis meows back.

Slowly, a little orange kitten comes into view. He's a little wobbly on his feet, and he takes one look at Louis and almost falls over.

 _Where'd you come from?_ Niall starts to tremble. He looks behind him and sees Harry and meows sadly. _I thought you weren't coming back._

Louis looks at Harry, who's watching the both of them with wide eyes. He looks back at Niall, who's full on shaking now.

"Niall, this is Louis."

 _Louis?_ Niall meows. _Are you the one I heard outside?_

Louis crouches down as he slowly approaches Niall, taking his time so he doesn't scare him further. Seeing Niall so afraid makes every single negative thought disappear in a split second. Louis thinks about the last two days, how much of a fuss he kicked up every time Harry and Liam disappeared behind the door. He was alone for maybe a few hours, at the most.

But Niall? Niall was alone the rest of the time.

At night, when Harry and Liam were in bed with Louis asleep at their feet. In the morning, when they were all having breakfast. And just now, before they came upstairs. Niall was all alone.

 _It's okay, Niall,_ Louis meows softly. _I'm not gonna hurt you._

 _You're not?_ Niall blinks. He takes a few hesitant steps towards Louis, who stays perfectly still.

 _We're brothers now_ , Louis meows. _Harry said so_.

_Harry?_

_He's the curly one staring at us_.

Niall tries to turn back around to look at Harry and tumbles onto his side. Harry makes a cooing sound at him and moves to help him back up, but Louis gets there first. He noses at Niall's head and licks at his fur, continuing when Niall starts to purr softly.

_You've met Liam too, he's our other human. He's nice, for the most part._

_Are there other cats?_ Niall rubs his head against Louis' chin. _Or is it just you?_

 _Just us._ Louis curls up around Niall. _Do you like it here?_

 _It's big_. Niall nuzzles against Louis' belly. _I'm glad you're here. I don't like being alone._

_Me neither. But you're not going to be alone._

The door opens, startling both Louis and Niall, and Harry quickly hisses for Liam to be quiet.

"Sorry," he whispers.

"They're bonding," Harry whispers back. "Look."

 _Don't be afraid_ , Louis meows softly when Niall starts trembling again. _It's just Liam. He's loud sometimes._

 _He's nice, though._ Niall slowly relaxes. _Right?_

 _Yeah_ , Louis glances over at where Harry and Liam are cuddled up on the floor just a little ways away, watching the two of them with smiles on their faces. _He's nice._

"Told you he wouldn't hurt Niall," Harry murmurs.

"You were right," Liam admits. "Louis is a good cat."

 _When you get bigger_ , Louis nudges Niall's ear, _I'll show you all of Liam's best shoes. His have shoelaces and they're the most fun_.

 _Yeah?_ Niall's ear twitches, catching Louis in the eye. Niall presses up against him, rubbing his head under Louis' chin in apology as he starts to purr. _Can't wait._

Louis starts purring too, settling in and closing his eyes. Maybe having another cat around won't be so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> [my tumblr](http://imlouisaf.tumblr.com)


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